31 Mar April’s Action: Waste Less, Save More
Waste is something most of us would rather not think about. Once it leaves our curb, it feels like the problem is solved. But the reality is much more complicated—and much more costly. Waste isn’t just an environmental issue; it’s a financial and public health challenge we all share. The good news? It’s not inevitable. Waste is largely a design flaw in our systems, and that means we can fix it!
Your trash costs you tax dollars: waste costs add up quickly
Every bag of trash or bin of recycling in Freeport carries a price tag. Hauling, processing, and recycling materials are expensive services, and those costs don’t disappear—they show up in municipal budgets and ultimately in our tax bills. Recycling, often seen as a simple solution, is especially vulnerable to rising costs.
When recycling loads are contaminated with non-recyclable items—like food-soiled containers or the wrong types of plastic—entire batches can be rejected and diverted to landfill or incineration. That means we pay more for sorting, more for disposal, and lose the environmental benefits we thought we were achieving. In short, contamination turns a good intention into a costly problem for everyone.
Food waste: a hidden drain on our wallets and environment
Food waste is one of the most overlooked parts of our waste system—and one of the most expensive. Perfectly edible food is lost at every stage, from farms to grocery stores to our own kitchens. For farmers, this can mean lost revenue and wasted resources like water, labor, and fuel. For businesses, it’s money thrown away in the form of unsold inventory and disposal costs. For communities, it contributes to higher waste management expenses and increased greenhouse gas emissions when food ends up in landfills.
The scale of this problem is staggering, but it’s also a sign of a deeper issue: our system isn’t designed to value food efficiently. This is a systemic economic failure, not just a series of individual mistakes. Some innovative businesses are stepping in to address it. Companies like Agricycle are finding ways to upcycle surplus food into new products, creating value where there was once waste. These kinds of solutions show that with better design, what we throw away can become an asset instead of a liability.
Why individual action alone isn’t enough—let’s change the system
It’s easy to feel like reducing waste is a personal responsibility—and it is, to a point. But even the most conscientious individual can only do so much within a system that produces excessive packaging and limited reuse options. Real change requires shifting responsibility upstream. That’s where policy comes in. Maine’s new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law is a major step forward. This legislation shifts the financial burden of managing packaging waste away from municipalities and taxpayers, and onto the producers who create it. By incentivizing companies to design more sustainable, less wasteful packaging, EPR addresses the problem at its source. Over time, this kind of policy can reduce costs for communities while encouraging smarter, more circular systems.
You are an essential part of the solution
While systemic change is essential, individual and community actions are equally necessary—especially when they reinforce better systems. These are actions you can take as part of the solution:
✔ Use the Freeport Green Guide to easily find local places to buy resale, repair and recycle.
✔ Choose products with less packaging whenever possible.
✔ Support restaurants that use reusable serviceware or truly compostable disposables.
✔ Reduce food waste at home by planning meals, storing food properly, and composting scraps.
✔ Normalize and buy “imperfect” food.
✔ Make use of Freeport’s transfer station and swap shop to keep usable items out of the waste stream.
✔ Support local circular businesses like thrift shops, and buy resale items whenever possible.
Waste may be a shared problem, but it’s also a shared opportunity. By recognizing its true costs—and working together to change the system—we can build a healthier, more resilient community for Freeport and a more sustainable world.